Preserving the character that is Howick village’s point of difference and improving links to local attractions are among key actions outlined in the new Howick Village Centre Plan.
Adopted by Howick Local Board this week, the plan establishes a 30-year vision for the area to be “an attractive, lively and walkable village that celebrates its history and provides a strong sense of identity and community”.
Public feedback
The final plan has been informed by several months of engagement and consultation with the local community, attracting more than 180 pieces of feedback on the draft plan and 300 pieces of feedback overall.
“We’ve been at schools, the local market and local events," says Howick Local Board’s planning, regulatory and heritage portfolio lead, Adele White.
"It's obvious that people are very passionate about what they love about Howick and the village, what they want it to look like in the future and what they don’t want to change.”
“Probably the strongest sentiment was to ensure that the character, the village feel of the area is not lost.”
What's in the plan?
Among the other ideas put forward through the consultation phase was a desire for a playground in Crawford Reserve, interpretative signs showcasing the heritage and stories of the area, making the area easier to get around, how to make the best use of the village square, developing a community garden and more green spaces.
The plan incorporates the following four themes:
- A character village
- A community village
- An accessible village
- A green village.
As well as setting out a vision for the village for the future, the plan highlights a series of actions and projects that could be implemented over the next decade either by the local board, other parts of the council, the community and community organisations.
Howick Local Board sponsored the plan’s development and chair David Collings says it provides a great foundation to help realise a vision for the village and surrounding area.
“It capitalises on the rich history, character and cultural values highly valued by the community and we are looking forward to working with the council and community to implement the plan.”
Among some of the first projects to be looked at will be interpretative signage – something already under way as part of implementation of the Howick Heritage Plan.
Next steps
The Howick Village Centre Plan is aspirational and outlines ideas and concepts to help realise the 30-year vision for Howick.
In many cases, the actions and projects included in the implementation plan still need to be scoped.
